Hand held vacuums which utilize a fluid, such as a liquid cleaning fluid or steam, to enhance cleaning are known. Many of these known vacuums dispense the fluid from apertures which are maintained some distance away from the surface to be cleaned. Such a configuration does not foster maximum take-up of the fluid by the surface being cleaned. This is particularly true where a fluid vapor, such as steam is being used as the cleaning fluid.
As an example, at least one known hand held vacuum utilizes rotating wheels which contact and roll along the surface being cleaned. As discussed above, these wheels maintain the fluid dispensing apertures some distance from the surface being cleaned. Although the wheels rotate, they provide a very small contact area which can increase the force required to push the vacuum over the surface being cleaned; particularly if the surface is a plush material. In addition, debris from the surface tends to be picked up by the rotating wheels where it can become entangled in the wheel components; leading to an unsightly situation which is difficult to clean.
Other known hand held vacuums have a substantially flat surface in which the vacuum inlet is included. Fluid dispensing apertures may also be located in this substantially flat surface. Such surfaces tend to join with an adjacent substantially flat surface of the vacuum housing at a fairly large angle. Although the surfaces at the point of joinder may be radiused, the radius is typically small. Thus, a rather small area would be in contact with the surface being cleaned if the angle of the vacuum were lowered during operation to ride on the radiused area. When such a small radiused contact area is provided, the force required to push the vacuum over the surface being cleaned is generally increased.